59285 - Sociology of Multimedia Communication

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows the peculiarities of the different sources of information and the various forms and mode of mediate computer communication. He/she knows how to plan and carry out a research project on media content and media users. He/she knows how to present research results using multimedia resources.

Course contents

The course is organized in lectures and seminars, as detailed in the following program. Lectures (16 hours in remote on MS TEAMS) aim to introduce students to the core tenets of the discipline. Seminars (12 hours) aim to provide occasions for in-depth discussions of class materials and exercises. For the seminar section of the course, students will be divided in two groups according to their preferences and according to rules concerning the current pandemic emergency: one group will do the seminar in classroom (12 hours) and another group will do the seminar remotely on MS TEAMS (12 hours), for a total of 28 hours for each student. Students are required to carefully read the assigned material before the session and - in the case of seminars - active participation through presentations of existing scholarship and case studies will also be expected. Regardless of the health-related conditions and the specific organization of the course, students will be able to follow the lessons of the entire course remotely on MS TEAMS.

Lectures. The course focuses the attention on the relationship between gender and digital media, tackling both gender inequalities and user's opportunities to challenge the patriarchal system.

The course focuses on the main social changes due to the spreading of digital media and their massive use.

In detail:

- digital divide and gender digital divide

- a brief history and outline of the effects and social uses of digital media

- the encounter of companies and internet user: between gift economy and market economy

- relevant topics in social media studies (control and surveillance, the effect of digital communication on people's relationships, etc.)

- the society of the next future (A.I., virtual reality, robots)

Seminars will follow.

Readings/Bibliography

Essential reading list:

1) A. Arvidsson, A. Delfanti (nuova edizione 2016) "Introduzione ai media digitali", il Mulino, Bologna (Introduction to Digital Media, new edition 2019).

2) S. Capecchi (nuova edizione 2015) "L'audience 'attiva'. Effetti e usi sociali dei media", Carocci, Roma (par. 2.2.2, 2.7, 3.3 e cap. 4).

3) H. Jenkins, S. Ford, J. Green (2013) "Spreadable media. I media tra condivisione, circolazione, partecipazione", Apogeo Education, Milano (Spreadable media. Creating Value and Meaning in a Networked Culture).

4) Choose a book between:

S. Turkle (2011) "Insieme ma soli. Perché ci aspettiamo sempre più dalla tecnologia e sempre meno dagli altri", trad. it. Codice edizioni, Torino 2012 (Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other).

P. Dumouchel, L. Damiano (2016), "Vivere con i robot. Saggio sull'empatia artificiale", trad. it. Raffaello Cortina Editore, Milano 2019 (Vivre avec les robots. Essai sur l'empathie artificielle).

S. Zuboff (2019), "Il capitalismo della sorveglianza", trad. it Luiss University Press, Roma (The Age of Surveillance Capitalism).

Recommended bibliography:

A. Mascio (2008) "Virtuali comunità", Guerini, Milano.

L. Paccagnella, A. Vellar (2016) "Vivere online. Identità, relazioni, conoscenza", Il Mulino, Bologna.

R. Bracciale (2010) "Donne nella rete. Disuguaglianze digitali di genere", Franco Angeli, Milano.

G. Riva (nuova ed. 2016) "I social network", Il Mulino, Bologna.

G. Lovink (2011) "Ossessioni collettive. Critica dei social media", trad. it. Università Bocconi Editore, Milano 2012 (Networks Without A Cause: A Critique of Social Media).

G. Lovink (2016) "L'abisso dei social media. Nuove reti oltre l'economia dei like", trad. it. Università Bocconi Editore, Milano 2016 (Social Media Abyss: Critical Internet Cultures and the Force of Negation).

d. boyd (2014) "It's complicated. La vita sociale degli adolescenti sul web", trad it. Castelvecchi, Roma 2014 (It's Complicated. The Social Lives of Networked Teens).

M.C. Carrozza (2017) "I robot e noi", il Mulino, Bologna.

R. Cingolani, G. Metta (2015) "Umani e umanoidi", il Mulino, Bologna.

Z. Bauman-D. Lyon (2013) "Sesto potere. La sorveglianza nella modernità liquida", trad. it. Laterza, Roma-Bari 2014 (Liquid Surveillance. A Conversation).

L. McIntyre (2018), "Post-verità", trad. it. Utet Università, Torino 2019 (Post-Truth).

 

Teaching methods

Lectures, case studies, seminars.

Assessment methods

Written exam (three open-ended questions taken from the essential reading list) or an essay of 4.000 words on a topic of your choice within the ones tackled during the course. You will have to discuss your research in class (online), with a short power point presentation.

International students: written exam (or essay of 4.000 words on a topic of your choice) in English, French or Spanish.

Teaching tools

Power point slides, videos.

Office hours

See the website of Saveria Capecchi